Rotary pop-up sprinkler having a cleaning feature



ROTARY POP-UP SPRINKLER HAVING A CLEANING FEATURE l? from/E vs.

Aug. 8, 1967 v. MILLER ET AL 3,334,817

ROTARY PoP-UP SPHINKLER HAVING A CLEANING FEATURE Filed Oct. 2l, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. CEc/L Z/ld/LLE@ Rm/ M. W//TJOA/ Aug. 8, 1967 V, MlLLER ET AL ROTARY POP-UP SPRNKLER HAVING A CLEANING FEATURE Filed OCT.. 2l. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Allg. 8, 1967 C v MlLLER ET AL 3,334,817

ROTARY PoP-UP SPRINKLER HAVING A CLEANING FEATURE' Filed Oct. 2.1, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oml n ,Jlm .Il Jl'.

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ROTARY PoP-UP SPRINKLER HAVING A CLEANING FEATURE Filed 00T.. 21, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 t 'In 4 r WI INVENTORS. CEC/z. VIM/Lee QM/M. 7147/7504/ y MLM g @M United States Patent O 3,334,817 ROTARY POP-UP SPRINKLER HAVING A CLEANING FEATURE i Cecil V. Miller, Temple City, and Ray M. Whltson, La Puente, Calif., assignors of one-third to J. C. Nees and Betty Nees, Arcadia, Calif.

Filed Oct. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 405,431 9 Claims. (Cl. 239-1713) The present invention is a rotary pop-up sprinkler which embodies a number of novel and improved features of construction and increased eiciency in operation.

Primarily an object is to provide a rotary pop-up sprinkler which delivers uniform precipitation, is relatlvely simple in construction and dependable in operatori. Suborinate objects as follows:

To provide a rotary pop-up sprinkler em'bodymg a constant speed drive which is substantially unaifectedby variations in water pressure, with a minimum fr1ct1on loss in operation due t-o water liowing through the sprinkler.

To provide means in a device of this character for carrying line grains of sand, and silt, away from the bearing surfaces of rotary impeller means.

To provide in a device of this character a positive start under slow opening valve conditions of low pressure.

In the part circle form of the invention an object 1s to provide mechanism of simplified character for reversing the direction of sprinkler head rotation and accomplishing the reversal without appreciable dwell, relatively instantaneously, and at a substantially constant rate of rotation in -both directions.

A further object is to provide in the part circle form simple and convenient means for changing the degree of arc.

These and other objects of the invention will Ibecome more fully understood from a consideration of the description which follows taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a Vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the full circle sprinkler utilizing the present invention. In this view the sprinkler is at rest or inoperative condition.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the sprinkler head assembly elevated in operating (sprinkling) condition.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 5--5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is an exploded view of the sprinkler shown in FIGURE 1 with the parts axially aligned vertically.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modilied form of upper end and cover of sprinkler.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical section of a second form of sprinkler embodying the invention wherein a gear box assembly is incorporated to provide a part circle operation instead of ythe full circle operation of the form shown in FIGURE l, et seq.

FIGURE l() is a view similar to FIGURE 9 showing the form of sprinkler illustrated in FIGURE 9 in pop-up operative condition.

FIGURE 1l is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 11-11 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE l2 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 12-12 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 13 is an exploded view of the gear box assem- 3,334,817 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 ICC bly and its several components illustrated in vertical alignment.

FIGURE 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modied form of sprinkler head assembly.

The full circle sprinkler is illustrated in FIGURES l through 8 of the ydrawings and the part circle sprinkler is illustrated in FIGURES 9 through 13. Many of the features are identical in the two forms. For the first detailed description we will advert to the full circle sprinkler.

A sprinkler main housing 10 is threadedly mounted upon a water service pipe 11. The housing is generally bowl shaped in configuration and is formed at its upper end with an annular outwardly projecting ange 12. An inner housing 13 having vertical walls generally parallel to and slightly spaced from the interior surface of the housing 10 is formed with an upper outwardly extending annular liange by machine screws 15, the two iianges preferably being sealed by an annular gasket 16. n

The mounting of the assembled housings is such that the upper surface of the flange 14 is preferably ush with the surface 17 of the ground or lawn to be watered.

At the intake entrance to the outer housing is disposed a conical strainer 20 through which water from .the service pipe 11 is delivered int-o the lower portion of a chamber 21 provided by the housing 10.

superimposed over the strainer 20 is a port cup 22 which is supported by and depends from an annular axially extending ange 23 on the inner housing 13, being held in place by an interference lit or by any other suitable means.

The port cup is formed with port means 24 in the bottom of the cup, such port means comprising elongated nozzle-like passages with their respective axes disposed in short cords generally circumferentially of the bottom of the cup (See FIGURE 6). The cup is also formed with a vertical injector tube 25 having an upper relatively large -bore 26 communicating with an entering orifice 27.

A sleeve 30 is rotatably mounted in a central annular iiange bushing 31 in the bottom of the inner housing 13. The sleeve is supported by a thrust nut 32 `and restrained against excessive upward shifting by a C ring and washer assembly 33. 'I'his sleeve 30, in addition to being rotatable relative to the inner housing 13, provides a guide for a hollow spindle 35 which conducts Water from the chamber 21 `to the nozzle heads later described and is vertically slidable in the sleeve 301from inoperative to pop-up operative position.

The sleeve 30 is formed with a skirt 40 at its lower extension, a flange 41 projecting radially between the Iupper section of the sleeve 30 `and the skirt 40. The internal surface of the skirt provides a chamber in the nature of a cylinder the walls of which are spaced away from the external surface of the spindle 35 but which are engageable by a lower end ange 42 and a packing gland or piston ring 43, the flange and packing gland functioning in the general nature of a piston to assist in elevating the spindle lfor sprinkling purposes under influence of water pressure, and to provide a friction clutch type drive between the sleeve 30 and the spindle 35. i

' Mounted on the flange 41, which has a hexagonal configuration as may be seen clearly in FIGURE 7, is a ball retainer in the general form of an inverted cup 45. This cup 45 has a hexagonal cut-out 45a which mates with the flange 41, and is secured to the ange by upper and lower C rings 46 and 47. It thus should be obvious that rotation of the ball retainer 45 will impart rotation to the sleeve 30.

The ball retainer 45 is rotatably driven by the action of an impeller assembly 50. This impeller assembly comprises a generally annular body 51, projecting from the lower face of which is a plurality of circumferentially arranged impeller blades 52. The body 51 is freely journaled 14 which is secured over the flange 12` Y pressure,

on the external surface of the skirt 40 of the sleeve 30, and is axially positioned thereon by upper and lower C rings 53 and 54. The blades 52 are each disposed oblique to a radial-line to increase the angle of attack by the force currents from the jets 24. As seen from above in FIGURE 6, the jets direct the force currents clockwise, driving the impeller clockwise, see FIGURE 5.

A drive coupling Ibetween the impeller 50 and the ball retainer 45 is provided by one or more balls 60 retained in a ball race 61 which is in the form of a peripheral slot in the impeller body 51 as seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5.

Centrifugal force imparted to the ball when the impeller Vis rotating throws the ball radially outwardly, and it lodges against a generally radially face 62 of the ball race and intermittently strikes a Iland 65 disposed on the interior surface ball retainer 45. The land is formed with a beveled edge 65a. When the ball strikes the land it imparts rotary motion to the ball retainer and the force of the im-pact causes the |ball to retract into the race so that the ball may ride over the surface of the land 65 and then roll around the inside face of the retainer 45 until again reaching and striking the land 65. The assembly is in effect a torque converter in the form of an intermittent slip clutch, and has the functional effect of imparting a rotation to the retainer 45 of full circle movement and at a fairly constant rate of speed irrespective of the speed of rotation of the impeller 51.

Rotation of the impeller may be in the neighborhood of 200 r.p.m., driving the retainer at approximately 1/2 r.p.m. This is stated by way of example, only, and not of limitation.

Rotation of the retainer 45 in turn rotates the spindle 35 through frictional engagement of the clutch Iplate in the form of the gland or piston ring 43 which, under water is elevated against the annular shoulder 57 of the sleeve 30. The gland 43 is preferably formed of a rubber or rubber-like or plastic material which possesses surface characteristics of somewhat resilient but frictional properties.

At the upper end of the spindle 35 is mounted a sprinkler head comprising a housing 66 into which are oppositely threaded at suitable inclinations a nozzle 67 for close precipitation and a nozzle 68 for relatively distant precipitation. On the boss 69 formed at the crown of the housing 66 is mounted a cover 69a by means of a machine bolt 69b. This cover is preferably tapered around the periphery to fit a tapered opening at the top of the inner Y housing 13 and when the sprinkler is in inoperative condition the cover 69a lies iiush with the surface of the ground or lawn.

The operating mechanism of the sprinkler is all carried by the inner housing 13 and may be installed as a unit or removed as a unit for repair or replacement. It would be possible, however, to employ a single housing by merging the lower section of the outer housing and omitting the remainder of the inner housing.

The second form of the invention, which is a part circle sprinkler, will next be described.

'I'he outside housing 10, the strainer 20 and the port cup the port cup 22 into 22 are all identical to the comparable elements previously described in the first form. The ball retainer 45, the irn- -peller 50 and the spindel 35 are also similar, except that the spindle is formed with an external longitudinal groove 70 in which a pin 71 is slidably keyed to impart rotation as will be subsequently described in detail. The superstructure mounted on the boss 69 is also similar to the first form described. The nozzle head housing 66a, and nozzles 67a and 68a are of the form shown in FIGURE 14.

An inner housing 13a is mounted in conjunction with the outside housing 10 in the same manner previously described but differs in form in the Ifollowing respects: 'Ihe housmg 13a.| supports a gear box 86 through the agency of set screws 87. It also is drilled to provide sockets 88 for shafts 90, the lower ends of which shafts are supported in sockets 9 1 formed in an annular boss 92 on the bottom of the gear box 86.

A sleeve 30a which is somewhat similar to the sleeve 30 of the first form described, has a similar hexagonal driving connection with the lball retainer 45. It differs, however, in its upper region by being threaded as shown at 100. On these threads is secured an annular thrust ring sector gear 101 which rotates on an annular ange 102 of the gear box 86. Formed integrally with the thrust ring are the sector gear teeth 103. It should now be apparent that rotation of the impeller 50 transmitted to the ball retainer 45 in turn causes full circle rotation of the sleeve 30a and this causes the section gear 101 to rotate continuously in one direction.

During its rotation the sector gear 101 meshes sequentially with a spur gear 104 (for direct drive) and a spur gear 105 (for reverse drive).

The gear 104 is on a common hub with a gear 106. The latter in turn meshes with a ring gear 107 mounted on a hollow post 108. This post is the one which mounts the pin 71 that slidably is keyed in the slot 70 of the spindle 35. Consequently, so long as the sector gear 101 is in mesh with the spur gear 104 the hub of the latter drives the gear 106 which imparts rotation to the gear 107 and the hollow post 108 in the same rotational direction as the impeller and ball retainer are rotating.

When the sector gear 101 in the progress of its rotation engages the spur gear 105 the following occurs: Spur gear 105 meshes with a reversing gear 110. The gear 110 is on the same hub with a gear 111 and this gear 111 meshes with the ring gear 107. Thus, when the teeth of the sector gear 101 are in mesh with the gear 110 the ring gear 107 is driven in a direction reverse to the direction of rotation of the impeller and ball retainer.

In the form illustrated in the drawings the result of the gear action is to provide a half circle actuation of the sprinkler head, and the reversal at the end of each arc of travel is substantially instantaneous. When the teeth of the sector gear 101 are engaged with the spur gear 104, the reversing gear system 105, 110 and 111 rotates idly, that is to say all the gears rotate, the gear 111 being driven by the ring gear 107, but being out of mesh with the sector gear, the rotation is ineffective.`

Then when the sector gear is engaged with the reversing gear 105 the direct drive gears 104 and 106 are idle in the sense that while they are rotated by reason of engagement of ring gear 107 with gear 106 the rotation is ineffective.

The operation of the comparable parts in both forms of sprinkler should be clear from the `foregoing general description and will be here summarized.

The interior wall of the spindle is straight and smooth and consequently there are no eddy currents and but little friction loss. Consequently the nozzles 61 and `62 deliver water respectively greater distances for a given pressure than other sprinklers in which eddy currents are present in the delivery area.

The size of orifice 27 may be varied depending upon the interior passages in the nozzles 61 and 62 to assume that the greater flow of water enters the injector tube 26 than is deflected to the jets 24.

Looking down from the top, as seen in section on the line 6--6 of FIGURE l which is reproduced as FIG- URE 6, rotation of the impeller is in a clockwise direction. The centrifugal force moves the ball 60 outwardly as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5 where it rolls around the inner surface of the retainer 45, periodically striking the inclined edge of the land 65 whereupon the ball imparts a rotary thrust to the ball retainer and the force and speed of rotation causes the ball to be pushed radially inward and over the surface of the 'land 65. The action results in driving the ball retainer in the same direction as the impeller rotates but at a much lreduced speed.

and the assembly of impeller and ball retainer constitutes in effect a slip clutch or transmission which provides an approximately constant rate of rotation of the ball retainer (the driven member) irrespective of the speed of rotation of the impeller.

The foregoing description applies to both forms of the invention.

In the form shown in FIGURES 1 2, rotation of the ball retainer is transmitted through the hexagonal connection to the sleeve 30 and from thence the rotation is transmitted to the spindle 35 through the frictional engagement of the piston ring 43 with the annular shoulder 57 of the sleeve. The latter occurs, of course, only after the force of the water has acted on the flange 42, and the resistance afforded by the nozzles, to elevate the spindle 35 from the inoperative position shown in FIG- URE 1 to the pop-up sprinkling position of FIGURE 2.

Unauthorized interference with the sprinkler by pranksters, vandals or mere curiosity seekers who may grab and hold the sprinkler head or the nozzles does not result in any harm to the working parts of the sprinkler because the ball drive between the impeller and the ball retainer will simply slip if enough force is employed to hold the sprinkler head against rotation.

Turning now to the operation of the second form shown in FIGURES 9-10, the operation is the same with respect to the introduction of water, and the rotation of the impeller and ball retainer 45.

The ball retainer, by virtue of the hexagonal connection with the sleeve 30a rotates the latter. This rotates in a single direction the sector gear 101. This sector gear, which functions as a shifting drive gear, alternately engages gears 104 and 105. When engaging gear 104 the rotation of the latter is imparted to the gear 106 the teeth of which mesh with the ring gear 107 and consequently rotates the hollow post 108 in the same direction as the ball retainer 45. This rotation is imparted through pin 71 operating in groove 70 to rotate the spindle 35 and the sprinkler head assembly. When the teeth of the sector gear 101 mesh with the gear 105 the latter imparts a reverse rotation to gear 110 which is rigidly coupled to gear 111 and the latter then drives the ring gear 107 in a direction reverse -from the rotational direction of the ball retainer 45.

As the last tooth of the sector gear becomes momentarily disengaged at the end of an arc of rotation the driven load is relieved which permits the driving force to instantly rotate the sector gear and to mesh with the other spur gear. This'results in practically no dwell at the end of each arc -due to substantially instantaneous reversing.

Inasmuch as the gear assembly is designed so that the drive is from the sector gear, if someone grabs the sprinkler head and manually turns it, it will only rotate far enough to move the sector gear to its last tooth at which point the entire gear train locks up because the sector gear cannot shift into mesh with the reversing gear. The gear box is unlocked whenever the head is released and the power is restored at the sector gear. Thus neither gears nor head can be forced out of synchronizing relationship.

While in normal operation and as water is driving the gear box system through the impeller, the latter mechanism acts as a torque converter. If held from the top and the gear box is locked up, the constant speed impeller drive then slips, and no damage to drive and gears can result.

The degree of arc swing by the oscillation of the head may be varied by changing the ratio of gears 106 and 111 to the gear 107. By increasing the number of teeth on this latter ring gear 107 and decreasing the number of teeth on gears 106 and 111 a lesser degree of arc may be attained without changing any of the other gears.

A modified form of cover structure is illustrated in FIGURE 8. Therein the upper flanges of the housings are encased in an annular channel collar 120 of rubber or rubber-like composition which can stand extra scuffng and abuse and also which tends to be easier on lawn mowers or other equipment striking it than if the metal of the main valve housings were exposed. Further, the cover 121 is formed with a metallic, preferably brass, beveled plate section 122 which rests upon the chamfered opening of the inner housing, and the outer exposed laminate 123 of the cover is of rubber.

A modied form of sprinkler head and nozzle assembly is shown in FIGURE 14 wherein the housing 66a is formed with a pair of adjacent threaded bosses on one side affording one opening for the short spray nozzle 67a and an opening 116 for the long spray nozzle 68a. This arrangement, of course, could be duplicated on the diametrically opposite side of the housing 66a.

An added feature common to all forms of the invention is means for clearing silt and other iine particle abrasive substances from the bearing surfaces between the impeller and the skirt 40' of the sleeve 30'. This means comprises vertical keystone shaped grooves 125 in the journal face 126 of the impeller body 51, which are joined by horizontal grooves 127 in the upper face of the body. The horizontal grooves are preferably oblique from a true radial direction, and are generally parallel to the angularity of the impeller blades. In operation, advancing edges of the grooves 125 will wipe the surface of the skirt 40, and any silt or the like in the water will be carried up and out through the grooves 127, circulating back into the general water ow.

While the invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

We claim:

1. A rotary pop-up sprinkler comprising a cylindrical housing attachable to a water supply line, bearing means supported by the housing having an axis coincident therewith, a sleeve journaled in said bearing means, a hollow vertical spindle slidably mounted in said sleeve and movable under water pressure from a retracted inoperative position to an advanced operative position, said spindle carrying nozzle means adjacent its upper end, a torque converter coupled with said sleeve, said converter being actuatable by water flow under pressure to rotate said sleeve, drive means between said sleeve and said spindle whereby rotation of said sleeve causes rotation of said spindle, and wherein the torque converter comprises an impeller freely journaled on the sleeve and adapted to be rotated by the water at relatively high speed, a ball retainer interlocked with the sleeve, a ball peripherally lodged in the impeller which is thrust outwardly against the ball retainer by centrifugal force, and an obstruction on the ball retainer in the orbital path of the ball adapted to be struck and passed by the ball thereby rotating the sleeve at a relatively slow speed.

2. A sprinkler as defined in claim 1, in which the ball retainer is in the form of an inverted cup, and the obstruction is a land on the inner surface of the cup.

3. A sprinkler as defined in claim 2, in -which the impeller comprises an annular body having a ball recess in the peripheral area, said recess being defined in part by an end wall impacting the ball during rotation.

4. A rotary pop-up sprinkler comprising a cylindrical housing attachable to a water supply line, bearing means supported by the housing having an axis coincident therewith, a sleeve journaled in said bearing means, a hollow vertical -spindle slidably mounted in said sleeve and movable under water pressure from a retracted inoperative position to an advanced operative position, said spindle carrying nozzle means adjacent its upper end, a torque converter coupled with said sleeve, said converter being actuatable by water flow under pressure to rotate said sleeve, drive means between said sleeve and said spindle whereby rotation of said sleeve causes rotation of said spindle, and in which the torque converter includes an lar body has a flat upper surface, and a generally hori zontal channel therein communicating between the upper end of the longitudinal channel and space external of the body.

6. A rotary pop-up sprinkler comprising a cylindrical housing attachable to a water supply line, bearing means supported by the housing having an axis coincident therewith, a sleeve joumaled in said bearing means, a hollow vertical spindle slidably mounted in said sleeve and movable under water pressure from a retracted inoperative position to an advanced operative position, said spindle carrying nozzle means :adjacent its upper end, a torque converter coupled with said sleeve, said converter being actuatable by water ow under pressure to rotate said sleeve, drive means between said sleeve and said spindle whereby rotation of said sleeve causes rotation of said spindle, and in which the drive means embodies a reversing transmission and comprises a sector gear continuously rotated in one direction by the sleeve, a hollow post freely journaled in the sleeve, a ring gear on the post, a direct drive gear set engaging the ring gear and driven by the sector gear during an arc of its rotation to rotate the post in the same direction as the sleeve, a reverse drive gear set engaging the ring gear and driven by the sector gear during another arc of its rotation to rotate the post in a direction opposite to that of the sleeve, the gear set not being driven by the sector gear rotating idly, and a driving connection between the post and the spindle.

7. A sprinkler as defined in claim 6, in which the driving Connection comprises a longitudinal external groove in the spindle, and a transverse pin mounted in the hollow post and slidably engaged in the groove.

8. A rotary pop-up sprinkler comprising a cylindrical outer housing attachable at its lower end to a water supply line and formed with an outwardly extending flange at its upper end, an inner housing formed with an outwardly extending flange overlying and removably secured to the flange of the outer housing whereby the inner housing and elements supported by it may be installed or removed as a unit, said inner housing having a bottom with a central bore and an outer flange, a sleeve rotatably l joumaled in the bore, a port cup secured to the outer flange, a hollow vertical spindle slidably mounted in said sleeve and movable under water pressure from a retracted inoperative position to an advanced operative position, nozzle means carried by said spindle adjacent its upper end and disposed below the level Aof the outwardly extending flange of the inner housing when the spindle is in operative position and above said latter ange when the spindle is is operative position, and a torque converter coupled with said sleeve, said converter being actuatable by water flow under pressure to rotate said sleeve, and ,drive means between said sleeve and said spindle whereby rotation of said sleeve causes rotation of said spindle, and in which the drive means embodies a reversing transmission and comprises a sector gear continuouslyrotated in one direction by the sleeve, a hollow post freely journaled -in the sleeve, a ring gear on the post, a direct drive gear set engaging the ring gear and driven by the sector gear during an arc of its rotation to rotate the post in the same direction as the sleeve, a reverse drive gear set engaging the ring gear and driven by the sector gear during another arc of its rotation to rotate the post in a direction opposite to that of the sleeve, the gear set not being driven by the sector gear rotating idly, and a driving connection between the post and the spindle, said inner housing comprising a gear box section which embodies the journal for `the sleeve, and an upper section having a central bore providing a journal for the hollow post.

9. A sprinkler as defined in claim 1, wherein -there is an inner housing coaxially disposed in the cylindrical housing and removably attached thereto only at the upper extremity .of the latter, the inner housing including a transverse web formed with a central opening providing the bearing means, means restricting the sleeve on the bearing means against downward axial dislodgment, means limiting downward movement of the spindle in the sleeve, and means restricting downward movement of the torque .converter on the sleeve, whereby the inner housing, the

sleeve, the spindle and the torque converter are removable as a unit from the cylindrical housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 1,871,258 8/1932 Coles et al. 239-206 1,919,243 7/ 1933 Munz 239-206 1,970,126 8/ 1934 Buckner 239-206 2,393,091 1/1946 Delacy-Mulhall 239-242 X 3,035,778 5/ 1962 Kimbro etal 239-242 X `3,107,056 10/ 1963 Hunter 239-242 X 3,131,867 5/,1964 Miller et al. 239-206 X 3,149,784- 9/1964 Skidrgel 239--206 M. HENSON WOOD, Jn., Primary Examiner. VAN C. WILKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY POP-UP SPRINKLER COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING ATTACHABLE TO A WATER SUPPLY LINE, BEARING MEANS SUPPORTED BY THE HOUSING HAVING AN AXIS COINCIDENT THEREWITH, A SLEEVE JOURNALED IN SAID BEARING MEANS, A HOLLOW VERTICAL SPINDLE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLEEVE AND MOVABLE UNDER WATER PRESSURTE FROM A RETRACTED INOPERATIVE POSITION TO AN ADVANCED OPERTIVE POSITION, SAID SPINDLE CARRYING NOZZLE MEANS ADJACENT ITS UPPER END, A TORQUE CONVERTER COUPLED WITH SAID SLEEVE, SAID CONVERTER BEING ACTUATABLE BY WATER FLOW UNDER PRESSURE TO ROTATE SAID SLEEVE, DRIVE MEANS BETWEEN SAID SLEEVE AND SAID SPINDLE WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID SLEEVE CAUSE ROTATION OF SAID SPINDLE, AND WHEREIN THE TORQUE CONVERTER COMPRISES AN IMPELLER FREELY JOURNALED ON THE SLEEVE AND ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED BY THE WATER AT RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED, A BALL RETAINER INTERLOCKED WITH THE SLEEVE, A BALL PERIPHERALLY LODGED IN THE IMPELLER WHICH IS THRUST OUTWARDLY AGAINST THE BALL RETAINER BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, AND AN OBSTRUCTION 